Manufactureoftrunks from chemically-treated fiber



H. W. MORROW. MANUFAOTURE 0F TRUNKS FROM UHEMIGA'LLY TREAT-BI) FIBER. No. 361,885.

Patented Apr. 26, 1887.

IIIIIII I" ,4 Inve I mnr "(Morrow y g 5 700's Z rwy M 115 II a I m D c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY W. MORROW, OF WILMINGTON, DELAVARE.

MANUFACTURE OFTRUNKS FRCM CHEMlCALL Y-TREATED FIBER.-

SPBCIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,885, dated April 26, 1887.

Application filed November 2, 1886. Serial No. 217,850. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. IVIORROW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilmington, Delaware, have invented certain Improvements in the Manufacture of Trunks, &c., from Chemically-Treated Fiber, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of trunks and like articles from chemicallytreated fiber-such, for instance, as the material known as celluvert, described and claimed in my Letters Patent N 0. 322,629, dated July 21, 1885the object of my invention being to simplify the process of manufacture, and to strengthen the trunk or other articleat the corners.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a trunk made in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section showing the method which I employ for shaping the body of the trunk; Fig. 3, a-

transverse section on the line 1 2, Fig. 3; and Fig. 4 atransverse section showing the plan which I prefer to adopt when a lined trunk is to be made.

In making trunks and like articles from chemically-treated fiber it has been the practice prior to my invention to first make a blank with projecting pieces to form the sides and ends, and then to turn up these pieces and secure them together at the corners, or else to build up the body and lid of the trunk from side, end, top, and bottom pieces, suitably secured together at the points where they meet each other; but these plans are tedious and expensive, and the first plan, moreover, is wasteful of material, while the second plan detracts from the strength and stability of the structure,because of the number of joints present in the latter, each of these joints being an element of weakness.

In carrying out my invention I make the trunk without waste of material, and without joints other than those between the center portions and ends of the body and lid.

In order to properly shape the body and lid of the trunk, I first make a suitable former composed, preferably, of upper and lower blocks, A A,having the external configuration desired, and capable of vertical adjustment in respect to each other, this adjustment their proper position,as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The tube offibrous material being wet or moist will readily adapt itself to the shape of the former; but as the material dries it contracts so as to fit snugly to the former, and .when

dry it becomes hard and permanently set in the shape given to it by said former. If desired, the former may be heated, as this has a tendency to increase the pliability of thematerial, and the material may also be heated for a like purpose in addition to being rendered moist.

On contracting the former A A it can be withdrawn from within the shell of fibrous material, and the latter can then be severed on the lines 00 00, so as to divide itinto the desired body portion I) and lid portion F of the trunk to be produced, the shell of the trunk being completed by the addition of the end pieces, D and F. I i

When the trunk is to be lined, the boxes which are to form the lining for the body and lid of the trunk may be applied to the former A A before the tube of fibrous material is applied thereto, so that the said tube in shrinking will bind itself firmly upon these boxes two boxes, as shown at x m,- or when a single box is used said box can be severed at the same time as the tube. I provide the end pieces of the trunk body and lid with internal flanges, b, extending along the sides and bottom, and provide the central portions of the body and lid with external flanges, also extending along the sides and bottom and overlapping the said end pieces, the central portions and ends being firmly riveted or otherwise secured together at their meeting points, so'as to effectually stiffen and strengthen all the angles and corners of the trunk.

The trunk may be provided with internal or external braces or stiffening-pieces suitashell for the body and lid of a trunk or likearticle, said mode consisting in first making a tube of said material, thenapplying this tube to a former, of the proper shape for the body and lid, then shrinking the tube upon 'said former, then removing the latter, and finally severing the shell into body and lid portions, all substantially as specified.

2. The mode herein described ofmaking from chemically-treated fibrous material a trunk or like article, said mode consisting in first making a tube of said material, then shrinking this tube over a former to produce a shell of proper shape for the body and lid, then removing the former and severing the shell, and finally securing end pieces to the body and lid portions of the shell, all subconsisting in first making a tube of said material, and then shrinking said tube over a box which is to form the lining, all substantially as specified. 1

4. A trunk-body composed of chemicallytreated fibrous material and having end pieces with flanges along the bottom and sides, and a central portion constituting in one piece the bottom and sides of the body, and having end flanges, also extending along the bottom and sides and overlapping the end pieces, all substantially as specified.

5. A trunk-lid of chemically-treated fibrous material, having end'pieces with flanges along the top and sides, and a central portion constituting in one piece the top and sidesof the lid, and having end flanges, also extending along the top and sides and overlapping the end pieces, all substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY W. MORROW.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM D. CONNER, HARRY SMITH. 

